Reclosure lock



Feb. 19, 1963 D B. KAUFFELD RECLOSURE LOCKl Filed July 18, 1961 Fig.l

INVENToR. DON B. KAUFFELD BY QWORNEYS iiited tarea This invention relates to the structure of paperboard blanks and to containers to be made vfrom said blanks, and more particularly relates to an improved container having a novel cover closure structure. Y

It is the principal object of Ithis invention to provide a container having a novel re-ciosure structure operative between its top closure panel and the'front panel of the container, which front panel has an outside turned-down rim along its upper edge. The closure panel has a tearopen ilap which normally overlies the upper part of the front panel including the rim and is sealed to the panel therebeluw. The region'of the seal is -bordered by scored lines which weaken a strip-shaped area of the front panel to which the closure ap is sealed. When the container i-s torn by .tearing up the ap, the paperboard of the front panel separates and said strip-shaped area comes oil? at the score-lines and remains attached to the flap. Subsequently, the closure panel can be reclosed and held in t-hat position by catching this strip under said rim along the top of the `front panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container having its top .closure panel divided into plural portions which can be individually pulled open and/or reclosed so as to selectively expose different contents of the container, such as diierent iiavors of ice cream. The present container is suitable for packaging either liquid or solid products, and can be made of materials having government food-lawV approval.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the following discussion of the drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a plan View of `a blank suitable Ifor making the body portion of a container according to the present invention, score-lines being shown in this figure as solid lines, embossed bend lines being shown as dashed lines, and rows of perforations being shown as dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of an end blank for a container according to the present invention, the dashed lines indicating embossed bend lines;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a iinished container made up of a body blank as shown in FIG. l and end blanks as shown in FIG. 2 and showing one side of the container opened for access to its contents;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3 and showing the container sealed closed; and

FiG. 5 is an enlarged `sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the container closure after it has -been torn open and then reclosed.

Referring now to FIG. l, the body blank 1 comprises four main body panels 2, 3, @i and 5, the lower panel being divided into two sections 5a and 5b by a transverse line of perforations 5c, the purpose of this line being hereinafter set forth. The main body panels 2, 3, 4 arid 5 have their longitudinal edges ldefined by crease lines 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k and 6k, the lat-ter crease line separating aps 6a and 6b from the main panel sections 5a and 5b, respectively. At the other end of the blank, the longitudinal bend line 2k separates the panel 2 fromI a rim member 7 which can be seen in FIGS. l, 3, 4 and 5.

Referring now to FIG. 2, this figure shows one of the end blanks of which two are required to complete a fully enclosed container. The end blank shown in FIG. 2 is referred to generally by the reference character 1% and tet 3,078,031 Patented Feb. 19, 1h63 further includes four end flaps 1l., 12, 13 and 14 all of which are mutually joined with the main panel of the end blank by embossed lcrease lines labeled 11a, 12a, 13a and 14a. Note that the corners of the end :blank are cut out so .that when the iianges are folded around the crease lines 11m, 12a, 13a and 14a the short edges of the llanges will abut to form a corner. Small corner webs 11b, 12b, 13b and Mb are provided 'to improve the sealing at the corners.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that each end panel is inserted inside the hollow polygonal body formed by the blank 1 when set up, the end blanks being oriented so that the lianges, such as the flanges 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 3 face outwardly of the finished container.

The anges of the end panels 1t) are secured to the panels of the body by any suitable means, such as cementing or plastic welding, etc., and webs 1lb, 12b, 13b yand 14b are crushed tightly into the corners and secured therein at the same time to insure good corner sealing. The precise corner structure forms no part of the present nvention and is merely included to show a complete container structure.

The main seam which forms the hollow polygonal body can be sealed at any stage in the proceedings. 0n a practical basis, however, -it is probably desirable that the longitudinal seam forming the hollow body be sealed prior to sealing of the end panels. With particular reference to FIGS. l, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the body blank 1 has a rim member joined to the body panel Z along the longitudinal bend line 2k. This rim member 7 is bent outwardly as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 so that its cut edge 7a, FIG. 4, faces outwardly of the container and is therefore not wetted by the contents thereof. The closure flaps 6a and 6b vare then brought downward over the rim member 7 and are sealed against the body panel 2 of the container below the edge 7a of the rim member 7.

This structure provides means whereby the container need not be opened on both sides sirnuitaneously, but instead the panel 5a can remain closed while the panel 5b is opened, or vice versa, as shown in FIG. 3. The transverse line of perforations 5c provides a weakened junction between the panels 5a and 5b along which' one side of the container may be torn open as shown in FIG. For instance, if two avors of ice cream are packaged in the present container, either flavor can be used, without necessity of opening the entire container and exposing the other ilavor, simply by tearing up one of the closure liaps 6a or 6b to break its seal along panel 2 and then tearing the panel 5 of the container directly in half along the transverse line of perforations Sc.

The front panel 2 is provided with score lines 2a, 2b and 2c, FiGS. l, 4 and 5, which score lines cut only part- Way through the thickness of the paperboard panel, as can be most clearly seen in FIG. 4. The areas enclosed by these score lines are the areas in which the aps 6a and 6b are sealed to the panel 2 along the zone S in FIG. 4. When the consumer of a product packaged in this container seeks access thereto, he tears a flap, 6a or 6b, away from the panel 2 and upwardly. However, the seal S docs not break, but instead the paperboard separates between the score lines 2a and 2b and n strip 2x of paperboard pulls out and remains stuck to the ilap as shown in FIG. 5. The consumer can either tear open the container at both flaps 6a and 6b simultaneously, or, alternatively, he can tear the closure panel 5 in half along the perforations 5c and open only one side of the container as s-hown in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the panel 5b is opened and separates from the ange 14 of the end panel by breaking the cemented or welded seal therewith. The score line 2c separates the strips 2x in the center when only one side is opened.

Subsequently, when part of ther contents of the container has been removed, the closure panel can again be closed and -held in that position, FIG. 5, by catching the strip 2x under the rim member 7.

This invention is not to be limited to the exact form shown in the drawing, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A closure structure for a paperboard container having side panels and having a closure panel shaped to overlie the end of the container, said structure comprising an external rim along the closure-engaging edge of at least one side panel; tear-open flap means along each corresponding edge of the closure panel and overlying the rim and sealed to an area of thepanel below the rim, the latter panel below the rim being scored around the perimeter of said sealed area, whereby when the tearopen ap means is pulled away from said other panel, the paperboard of the panel below the rim will separate alongsaid score lines to leave a strip thereof attached to said lap means, each strip subsequently catching under each corresponding rim to hold the closure panel in reclosed position.

2. In a structure as set forth in claim l, each rimcomprising a flap along the edge of the side panel .folded outwardly parallel against the side panel.

3. A closure structure for a paperboard container having side panels and having a closure panel shaped to overlie the end of the container, said structure comprising an external rim along the closure-engaging edge of at least one side panel; tear-open flap means along each corresponding edge of the closure panel and overlying the rim and sealed to an area of the panel below the rim, the latter panel below the rim being scored partway through the thickness of the paperboard around the perimeter of said sealed area, the score line nearest the rim lying parallel thereto and outside the area of sealing, whereby when the tear-open flap means is pulled away from said other panel, the paperboard of the panel below the rim will separate along said score lines to leave a strip thereof attached to said flap means, each strip subsequently catching under each corresponding rim to hold the closure panel in reclosed position.

4. In a structure as set forth in claim 3, each rim comprising a llap along the edge of the side panel folded outwardly against the side panel and terminating substantially opposite said score line nearest the rim.

5. A closure structure for a paperboard body having side panels and having a closure panel hingedly attached to one side panel to overlie the end of the body, said structure comprising an external rim along the closureengaging edge of at least one other panel; tear-open flap means along the corresponding edge of the closure panel overlying said rim and sealed to an area of said other panel below the rim, the latter panel below the Vrim being scored around the perimeter of said sealed area, whereby when the tear-open flap means is pulled away from said other panel, the paperboard of the panel below the rim will separate along said score lines to leave a strip thereof attached to said ap means, the strip subsequently catching under the rim to hold the closure panel in reclosed position.

6. ln a structure as set forth in claimr 5, each rim comprising a flap along the edge of the side panel folded outwardly parallel against the side panel.

7. A closure structure for a paperboard body having side panels and having a closure panel hingedly attached to one side panel to overlie the end of the body, said structure comprising an external rim along the closureengaging edge of at least one other panel; teanopen ap means along the corresponding edge of the closure panel overlying said rim and sealed'to an area of said other panel below the rim, the latter panel below the rim being scored partway throughl the thickness of the paperboard around the perimeter of said sealed area, the score line nearest the rim lying parallel thereto and outside the area of sealing, whereby the tear-open ap means is pulled away from said other side panel, the paperboard of the panel below the rim will separate along said score .lines to leave a strip thereof attached to said ap means, the strip subsequently catching under the rim to. hold the closure panel in reclosed position.

8. In a structure as set forth in claim 7, each rim cornprising a ilap along the edge of the side panel folded outwardly against the side panel and terminating substantially opposite said score line nearest the rim.

9. A blank for making the body and the closure of a hollow container, comprising plural side panels mutually joined together along crease lines to form an open body when folded therearound; a closure panel hingedly joined to one of said side panels and shaped to overlie and close the open body; a narrow rim panel joined to another body panel along a closure-panel-engaging edge thereof; and flap means along the edge of the closure panel cor-responding with the rim-'panel edge of said another body panel, the said another body panel having two score lines parallel with said closure-panel-engaging edge, the first of said score lines being spaced from the last-men tioned edge by substantially the width of said rim panel, and the other of said score lines being spaced from that edge by a distance greater than the spacing of the first of said score lines but less than the width of said ap means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,557,914 Miner .v .r n June 19, 1951 2,777,629 'Osteen Jan. l5, 1957 2,918,205 Zeitter Dec. 22, i959 

1. A CLOSURE STRUCTURE FOR A PAPERBOARD CONTAINER HAVING SIDE PANELS AND HAVING A CLOSURE PANEL SHAPED TO OVERLIE THE END OF THE CONTAINER, SAID STRUCTURE COMPRISING AN EXTERNAL RIM ALONG THE CLOSURE-ENGAGING EDGE OF AT LEAST ONE SIDE PANEL; TEAR-OPEN FLAP MEANS ALONG EACH CORRESPONDING EDGE OF THE CLOSURE PANEL AND OVERLYING THE RIM AND SEALED TO AN AREA OF THE PANEL BELOW THE RIM, THE LATTER PANEL BELOW THE RIM BEING SCORED AROUND THE PERIMETER OF SAID SEALED AREA, WHEREBY WHEN THE TEAROPEN FLAP MEANS IS PULLED AWAY FROM SAID OTHER PANEL, THE PAPERBOARD OF THE PANEL BELOW THE RIM WILL SEPARATE ALONG SAID SCORE LINES TO LEAVE A STRIP THEREOF ATTACHED TO SAID FLAP MEANS, EACH STRIP SUBSEQUENTLY CATCHING UNDER EACH CORRESPONDING RIM TO HOLD THE CLOSURE PANEL IN RECLOSED POSITION. 